The Cerritos College president, Dr. Jose Fierro, hosted his President’s Hour on Instagram live informing viewers on important notices regarding the College.
About 20 participants joined the event where they were notified about variety of topics including classes returning to campus on March 7, mask requirements, free COVID-19 testing sites on campus, and the required check-in kiosks.
The first thing president Fierro talked about was the special board meeting being held on Feb. 25 regarding a proposed Map D of the redistricting maps.
“The board of trustees has worked to ensure that they can re-balance the district based on the new census results,” Fierro said.
The Cerritos College president also said the update on Optimum HQ where check-in questions will be changed based on the LA Public Department.
Fierro then mentioned that the College secured a COVID-19 testing partner, in which students, faculty and community members can get tested there free of charge.
“You can either go and get a booster shot or you will have to test weekly [to be on campus],” Fierro said.
“Home tests (at this time) are not accepted in lieu of weekly testing,” Fierro pointed out, “The governor is going to release an endemic plan, California is already trying to make a transition from pandemic to endemic control of COVID-19.”
Fierro later added, “Endemic means leaving the pandemic and finding ways to carry on with normal life activities while protecting ourselves from COVID-19. We are covered by LA Country rules which means we still have a mask mandate at Cerritos College.”
The Cerritos College president said that even if the mask mandate is lifted before the end of the Spring semester, the College will continue to uphold mask coverings and social distancing requirements.
Fierro then stated that Cerritos College courses will return to campus on March 7.
Although, because many students are continuing to enroll in online courses, the College will continue to offer a variety of class formats such as online, in-person, remote and/or hybrid courses due to popular demand.
“You do not have to get tested weekly if you have the booster,” Fierro said, “However, if you want to test weekly or as frequently as you like, you are still eligible to go and get free testing on campus.”
The numbers regarding COVID-19 cases are going down significantly in LA county, but jumped back up in the last few weeks, he added.
“I know there is a lot of fatigue for all the restrictions,” Fierro said, “But obviously those are public health measures that many of us are following, and so we’ll see what happens in the future.”
Fierro said that he, personally, has no issue with wearing a mask but emphasized that everyone is different and has their own opinions.
“I like to be on campus,” Fierro concluded, “I miss seeing students and faculty.”
